Counting on Love
by LitLove
Summary: Numbers were her thing. And even though there were people out there who thought it boring and stupefying, Katniss also loved being an accountant. So it took her by surprise when on Tuesday afternoon her supervisor knocked on her office door and introduced her to her newest client. And in stepped the most handsome man Katniss ever had laid eyes on. - Modern AU. Everlark.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, I've made it and can't believe it. Only took me about 4 years. ggg

This is for the Tumblr February challenge "Love is ..." at loveinpanem and will most probably be a Two-Parter. The second part still needs to be finished, so no idea when that one will be published. Hopefully not in another 4 years. ;)

There would be no submission if there hadn't been a couple of ladies and their support and help. So, thank you **thegirlfromoverthesea** for your constant cheerleading and handholding. You brought me back to wirting, I never realized how much I missed it. Thank you **greetingsfromthennorthernsea** for our brainstorming and all your very helpful comments. And last but not least **honeylime08** for the incredible betaing. I loved all those little comments you gave at certain parts. Without you this story would be in terrible shape. ggg

THANK YOU, ladies!

Enough now, let's start with the story. Hope you enjoy, comments would be lovely. ;)

All the best,  
LitLove

 **Disclaimer** : Not mine. Suzanne Collins has all the rights. I just love the characters and had to write something for them.

* * *

 **COUNTING ON LOVE**

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 **Part 1**

Numbers were her thing.

Ever since her first lesson in mathematics back when she started school at the tender age of 6, Katniss loved to solve equations. She added, substracted, multiplied and divided. She draw graphs, she solved page long math riddles.

She loved numbers.

And even though there were people out there who thought it boring and stupefying, Katniss also loved being an accountant.

Oh, and she was _good_ at it. It was fulfilling for her to know every aspect of her clients company, to know its monthly debits and credits to the T, to have the books clean and correct and always up to date.

No matter how chaotic or unorganised a new client was whenever they sought out her company's help, Katniss made sure the books were up and running within a short matter of time.

Tax authorities loved to work with her, always breathed a sigh of relief when they read her name as responsible for the account of the company they were reviewing.

So it took her by surprise when on Tuesday afternoon (she remembered it being a Tuesday because she had a burrito for lunch, and Tuesday was burrito-day in the cafeteria) her supervisor knocked on her office door and introduced her to her newest client.

And in stepped the most handsome man Katniss ever had laid eyes on.

She had no client meetings scheduled for that afternoon. Therefore she was fully aware of the orange spot on her white blouse left by the lunch-burrito, her messy hair hurriedly plaited into a braid over her shoulder, her slightly crooked glasses, and her heels unceremoniously abandoned on the other side of her desk.

Katniss jumped to her feet, simultaniously dripping some coffee on her now ruined blouse from the mug she held in her hand.

"Katniss," Leonard Boggs adressed her, an amused smirk playing around his mouth, "this is Peeta Mellark, our newest client. Mr. Mellark, this is Ms. Katniss Everdeen. She'll be responsible for your account. If you have any questions, please simply contact her."

The blond man stepped forward, his right hand outstreched. A huge smile was plastered on his face, and his eyes shone like two sparkling sapphires. Katniss felt like her coffee mug was the only thing holding her up. It was an automatic reaction to stretch out her arm as well and take her newest client's hand to shake.

As soon as their hands touched it felt like an electrical jolt floated from her fingers through her arms and all the way down to her toes.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Everdeen."

The sound of his voice made her skin break out in goose bumps. It was velvety, masculine, rich ... _perfect_. Only a few moments later - their hands still clasped and lightly shaking - she remembered that she still had to reply.

"Likewise," she blurted out, with the hint of a nervous squeak at the end.

Never before did Katniss wish to be more articulate and charming. She felt like the most awkward person to ever walk the face of the earth.

"Well," Boggs interrupted, "I'll let you two get started. Goodbye, Mr. Mellark. Katniss."

And off he was, leaving her behind with a man who made her knees weak and her voice shake.

This was going to be very interessing.

 **xXx**

It became regularity.

Every other Tuesday, promptly at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Peeta Mellark stood in her office doorway. He always had a folder with him, and a bag labeled " _Mellark's Bakery & Bistro_" containing something mouthwatering in his hand.

It started at their third meeting with _Mellark's famous cheese buns_ and hadn't stopped since. She was in _carb heaven_ , so to speak.

And he smiled. Like, all the time.

The worst thing about it: She already had categories for each of his different smiles.

His 'welcome-smile' when he entered her office and gave her the paper bag with the goodies.

The 'appreciation-smile,' together with a slight nod, when he didn't understand something about the bookkeeping she tried to explain.

The 'half-smile-half-smirk' whenever she got flustered – which for some reason happened in abundance – and started to ramble before shutting up completely.

And her favorite one: his 'smile-after-laughing-out-loud.' Katniss knew she wasn't the funniest person around, most of time more stoic and pragmatic than anything else. But when he was around sometimes a joke slipped out, or a clever comment, or a funny remark.

Normally her own smile was hard earned. Only her closest family and friends had the privilege of seeing her smile regularly.

Now Peeta Mellark seemed to be the exception to the rule.

To _every_ rule.

It took her five meetings to admit (if only to herself) that he was charming, funny and considerate, that she liked spending time with him, and that the two hours every other Tuesday quickly became her favorite days of the month. More than once they drifted off to topics which had nothing to do with the bookkeeping of the bakery. They talked about their hobbies, the books they both had read, movies they had seen, cities and countries they had visited. They talked about family, and holidays, and _can you believe Carrie Fisher is dead?_.

Peeta was friendly and open, showing a confidence when it came to his life and work. Katniss wished she had a little bit more of that, too. You could feel the love he felt for the work he did. It wasn't simply an occupation for him, it was his calling. And still, when it came to other areas he seemed almost shy and reserved.

Not once had he mentioned his parents, only that he was the one of the three brothers who inherited the bakery from them. He talked of his cousin Delly (she did the books before Katniss took over) or his brothers Bannock and Rye (the older was investment banker, the middle brother a retired football player turned sports commentator). At one point - she couldn't remember how they came to talk about it - he even told her about a girlfriend in college, but from the tone he used and his whole posture she could tell it didn't end on good terms.

Not that she was an expert. She's only had two relationships longer than five dates, and one had been in High School. It took Gale and her three months to realize that their dates consisted of them doing the same stuff as when they were friends, only with the occasional kiss in between (which wasn't that thrilling to begin with). They ended it and returned to being best friends, before he realized that he actually was in love with her other best friend. They were married now.

Katniss' other serious relationship happened in college and was at least a little more serious. It lasted two years, but when Eddie got a job offer overseas, they decided to end it. Both of them knew they weren't made for long distance relationships.

But back to the topic, while Peeta was confident and open when it came to his profession and his everyday life, he was coy and cautious about his feelings and private affairs.

Which didn't make him any less attractive in her eyes.

At meeting No. 7, she realized that she subconsciously started to dress more feminine, took more care when it came to her make-up and hair, and never ate another Tuesday-burrito in the cafeteria again. That day Peeta smiled bashfully, his hand rubbing over his neck and told her, "I really like the blouse you wear. It … it brings yo-your eyes out very prettily." Even his stumbling over words was endearing.

Right before their 8th meeting, she caught herself fantasizing about the way his lips would feel on her own, and only got interrupted when he knocked on her office door. For the remainder of their appointment a faint blush was visible on her cheeks.

Today was the Tuesday of their 10th consultation and Katniss was quite proud of herself. She hadn't blushed once, her voice was steady, her tone and posture friendly. She was professional but didn't come across as her ' _cold, stone-hearted working-bitch_ '-self (Johanna's words, not her's).

Unfortunately it was already time to end their meeting and with a heavy heart Katniss prepared herself to say goodbye to him for yet another two weeks. They moved to her office door, Peeta two steps in front of her, when he suddenly stopped and turned around abruptly. It was only thanks to her fast reflexes that she didn't run into him full force.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I just need to ask, or else I'm wondering yet for another two weeks …"

He drifted off, suddenly turning quiet and a little flustered. It was so untypical for him, Katniss wasn't used to him being self-conscious, and therefore she completely missed his next words.

"Pardon?" All the before mentioned steadiness in her voice was gone.

"Oh, well … you … and it felt like … oh, man! … I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Just … just forget I ever mentioned anything, ok?"

"NO!" she nearly screamed, it even startled him a little. Taking a deep breath she continued, calmer but no less eager, "No, please. I just … what were you saying?"

Peeta didn't look convinced, but the pleading in her voice probably persuaded him to repeat his sentence.

"Would you consider … helping out at our annual charity bake sale?"

" _Of course_! … Wait, what?" Her eyes must've looked like saucers.

Peeta started to twist his fingers, nearly stumbling over his words.

"Mellark's Annual Charity Bake Sale. It's Saturday. In a week. So ... not the one coming up, but the one after. You're ... your're so good with numbers, like ... _perfect_! I-I mean, you could do the register. Because you're awesome with numbers. I mean, you're not only awesome with numbers. You're like ... always awesome. ... Oh man, this is ... It would be great if you could join me- eh _us_! If you could join _us_! With your skills it will be a walk in the park. Please? I mean, there's even free baked goods for our volunteers?"

When he looked up - a slight blush on his cheeks - he seemed so hopeful that not a single cell in her body would have been able to say no in that moment. Half sad, half happy she accepted.

Only after saying goodbye, his face showing a big smile, and closing her office door behind him, Katniss realized how very disappointed she felt that she had agreed to volunteer at his charity event when instead she would have happily agreed to go on a date with him.

 **xXx**

"You're such a loser! Why don't you ask him out yourself?"

Prim's laugh sounded half like a snort, her eyes fixed on the label a package of sheets she held in her hands. She adored _Bed, Bath & Beyond._

Katniss had to roll her eyes. It was easy for her little sister to be self-confident. Her boyfriend of however-many-years was a sweetheart, totally smitten with her, and the one who did _all the work_ in the beginning. He asked her out. He wined and dined her. He was the one to tell her it was love at first sight for him. Prim simply had to be _present_ , and Rory did all the rest. Boom! She was a _girlfriend_ even without having to lift a single finger.

She did have to lift that finger – after all – when she turned from girlfriend into _fiancée_.

Of course, Katniss never mentioned any of that out loud. She was happy for her baby sis and wished her all the love and luck with Rory. It just felt unfair when Prim presented it as the easiest thing to do.

Therefore she simply ignored her younger sibling and grabbed the next best thing. It was a yellow-green soap dispenser.

"You think this'll look good in the kitchen?"

It was Prim's turn to roll her eyes. "Don't try to deflect the topic with the ugliest item _Bed, Bath & Beyond_ has to offer."

"I'm not –"

" _Of course_ you're not, _"_ Prim mocked.

"He's probably not interested anyway. Let's just change the topic, ok?"

"Whatever you tell yourself to let you sleep at night."

"Sometimes you're really annoying, you know that?"

Still, she never stayed mad with her sister for long, and her slightly amused tone showed that. Which didn't mean she wanted to explore the topic at hand for much longer. The next time Prim turned around to grab yet another package she fled three aisles over – finding herself in _Bakeware & Baking Tools_.

With her head turned in Prim's direction to make sure her sister didn't see where she was going, Katniss couldn't avoid crashing into another customer. Stumbling slightly, only the two strong hands grabbing her upper arms kept her standing. An electrical shock ran through her from the place they touched her all the way down to her toes. Surprised she gasped and started to apologize.

"I'm sor-" The apology got stuck in her throat, when she realized that none other than Peeta Mellark just saved her from crashing to the floor.

Peeta Mellark, who stood in front of her in all his damn glory, looking like a Greek God in his dark blue jeans and grey Henley, the long sleeves pushed up to the elbows (he had beautiful forearms). His hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had recently ran his hands through it.

The same Peeta Mellark she just gushed over in detail to her sister.

The _very same_ Peeta Mellark who had starred in her very R-rated dream only the night before.

Of course, she wore an old pair of sweats. Her oversized sweater hung off one shoulder. Her hair was in its typical side braid. When Prim picked her up she had no time to put in her contacts, and in her haze she had grabbed the oldest pair of black-rimmed glasses she owned. She looked like a hobo. _Wonderful_!

One hand was now casually stuck in the front pocket of his jeans, the other one still warm on her upper arm. The heat radiating from there made her toes curl. In this light his eyes looked more azure than sapphire, and the spark in them made him radiant.

"Hi, Katniss." He sounded surprised but at the same time pleased.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when he addressed her, so deep in thought had she been. A deep breath later and a step back, and his remaining hand fell away, too. She plastered a friendly smile on her face and hoped the constant blush she had in his presence wasn't too visible.

"Hi, Peeta." Even she could hear the happiness in her voice.

"Fancy meeting you here." One side of his lip curled up into a half-smile, and it made her weak in the knees. Her reactions to him were getting ridiculous! Seriously, she behaved like a teenager, and not like a twenty-seven year old woman. _She needed to get a grip!_

"My sister dragged me here. Something about new sheets, and they absolutely need to be Egyptian cotton, because they feel amazing on your skin, and she and her boyfriend - well, actually, her _fiancé_ \- have an anniversary coming up, and … well, yeah …"

 _What the fuck was she talking about?!_

He raised one eyebrow, amusement clearly visible in his features. "Sounds like … um … _sensible_ motivation?"

"Yeah, whatever. I didn't really listen to what she said, except that she offered to buy me dinner afterwards. The mention of free food made me accept. Hook, line and sinker."

 _Fantastic_! Now she made herself sound like a cheap bimbo. She really needed to _shut the fuck up!_

Peeta chuckled, "I see where you're coming from. My best friend Finnick offered the same to come with him and help him get all the necessary equipment for his new kitchen. Annie, his wife, is visiting with her sister and he wants to surprise her when she returns. He thought me owning a bakery and bistro made me an excellent shopping partner, but now that we're here he simply grabs whatever he thinks he is in dire need of à la ' _it's my bloody kitchen, I get what I want_ ᾿, not minding my opinion at all."

The laugh that escaped her felt like a fresh start. It made her realize that, although he was very attractive, and very charming, and very nice - and although she might have a little crush on him - he still was one of the few people she really enjoyed spending time with. He always showed interest in the things she had to say, asked the right questions at the right time, and was a gentleman through and through. He never made her feel socially awkward, although she'd totally given him more than one opportunity when she couldn't have blamed him. Therefore she really needed to get her shit together and to start acting normal around him again.

Just because he was friendly and considerate didn't make him automatically interested in her.

Before her inner monologue could take over again, she quickly responded, "Just sounds like something my sister would also do."

A silence fell over them, but it wasn't oppressive. On the contrary, it felt nice and relaxing. Nevertheless, he broke it after a few moments.

"So, did you find something for yourself, too?" His eyes travelled to her hands. Katniss wasn't sure why Peeta started to smirk, but then remembered the ugly thing she had tried to distract her sister with.

"Oh, I'm …" she thrust the dispenser out in front of her. "It's for my kitchen. I broke mine the other day. When Prim dragged me here I realized it was a good opportunity to replace it."

Mischievousness joined his apparent amusement. "Interesting choice. Love the colors."

She couldn't help herself, again the laughter burst out of her without her being able to control it. "It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen."

"Can't say I disagree." His laughter spread through her like warm energy. If it were possible, she would bottle it up, so every time she felt sad or down she could take a small whiff.

"I'm probably not taking it, all right."

"But it deserves a chance to fulfill its purpose, don't you think?"

"Are you trying to make me buy this thing? I'm not sure I'm convinced …"

His hand came up to the back of his head, rubbing his neck, a nervous habit of his, she knew by now. It surprised her that he seemed suddenly so tense. When he averted his eyes Katniss got the chance to study his face without restraint. Never before had she seen someone with such long eyelashes. It was a surprise they didn't get tangled every time he batted his eyes. She found it very endearing.

Clearing his throat he finally looked up again, all shyness gone, directly in her eyes.

"Maybe we should discuss it further at di–"

"PEET! I found _the most_ fantastic - oh, sorry! Did I interrupt?"

"Geez, _Finn_ …"

The bronze haired man stepping in next to Peeta was nearly blinding. A _vision of beauty_ if she ever saw one. Bright eyes, killer smile with dimples, broad shoulders and a tall, fit posture. He was so beautiful he didn't even seem real.

He was too flashy, too shiny, too … _everything_. He couldn't hold a candle to Peeta, if you asked her.

Nevertheless the hobo feeling returned full force in the face of the two men standing in front of her, both looking like they stepped straight off the cover of GQ magazine.

Finnick – at least Katniss assumed it was him – stepped forward, his hand outstretched, "Finnick Odair. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, um … Katniss. Katniss Everdeen. My pleasure," she grabbed the hand and shook it. No electrical shock. Not even a small tingle.

"Holy shit!" His laugh surprised her. "Finally I've got a face to the name. You're _Katniss_!"

Her confusion about his exclamation must have shown, because he immediately continued, "Peeta here just can't shut up about y-"

"Your fantastic work!" Peeta interrupted, suddenly looking very pale. "It's amazing how much you helped me in the last couple of weeks, and I just told Finnick the other day."

"Thank you, Peeta!" Katniss was always happy when someone was satisfied with the work she was doing. "It's my job, after all, but I'm always glad when my clients are pleased about the work I do for them."

"Oh, he is _very pleased_ , that's for sure!" Finnick snickered. His eyebrows wiggled provocatively.

Peeta huffed, one hand over his eyes and his head slightly shaking.

"Okay, thanks Finn, for this very valuable contribution," the young baker deadpanned, punishing his friend with an incredulous look. When he turned back to Katniss, he was smiling again. "I think it's time for us to let you be, Katniss. We'll see each other soon, yes? I will send you the details about the bake sale as soon as I can."

"I'm looking forward to it!" He started to smirk, and she realized how eager it must have sounded to him (which she was, but he didn't need to know that, did he?). "I mean, to the bake sale ... I mean, I'm looking forward to spend the Saturday with you. For the bake sale. I mean ... geez, you know what I mean!"

"I do," his smirk had turned into a soft smile, "Have a nice evening, Katniss."

"You, too, Peeta. Bye Finnick."

Before his friend got a chance to reply Peeta had already pushed him a few steps ahead while scowling at the bronze hair at the back of his head. Katniss saw Finnick grinning even wider, and his mouth formed some sort of comment, which earned him a punch to the arm. It didn't make his grin disappear, but at least he seemed to shut up. The last thing she saw before they rounded the corner to the next aisle was Peeta turning around once more and sending her a breathtaking smile and a wink. Then they were gone.

"You were right."

Katniss startled when Prim stepped up to her, arms crossed in front of her and her eyes following the retreating forms of Peeta Mellark and Finnick Odair, just like her own had seconds ago.

"Prim –"

"Totally not interested. _Not at all_. Seriously, Sis! He flirted from the moment he said _'hi'_ and couldn't take his eyes off of you! Sometimes you're really dense, Katniss." She grabbed – with a last eye roll – the ugly dispenser from her sister and put it in her own basket, before she started to walk in the direction of the cash registers.

A defeated sigh escaped Katniss. With a last look in the direction where Peeta had disappeared a few moments ago, she turned and followed Prim to the exit.

 **xXx**

Samantha Hawthorne was the spitting image of her father.

Therefore it often happened that people assumed that she was Katniss' daughter when she joined her and Madge. When it came to appearances, Samantha only shared the bright blue eyes with her mother. Madge always shrugged and said it was no surprise with the dark hair and the occasional frown on her face. When she first met Katniss and Gale, she thought them siblings, too.

"Mommy, can I have ice cream?"

"I don't know, can you?" Madge winked while putting her bag on the bench and parking the stroller beside it.

Samantha rolled her eyes (a gesture so similar to Gale and Katniss), but corrected herself nevertheless. "May I have some ice cream, please?"

"Good girl," Madge cooed, her hand brushing over the dark bangs of her daughter. They needed a cut. "I'll get it for you. Go, play with your friends."

Katniss chuckled, slumped down on the bench and made herself comfortable. She loved joining Madge and Samantha on their trips to the playground. More often than not her Godchild coaxed her into partaking in the games of her and her friends. Then, Katniss found herself crawling through tunnels, going down slides, playing tag, or hide-and-seek. On days like these she returned to her apartment probably looking the same as the kids: dirty from head to toe, but wearing a huge grin.

And today wouldn't be any different: Madge bought a cone with a scoop of plain vanilla from the kiosk and presented it to her daughter. It took about 5 minutes for the girl to gulp down the treat. After removing all residual ice cream with a wet wipe, Sam grabbed Katniss' hands and pulled her to her feet.

"Aunty Kat! Come on, let's play _'Pirates and Sharks'_! Please!"

Ever since they rode that boat in Disneyland and Samantha afterwards told her friends about it, _Pirates of the Caribbean_ had been a favorite for the kids.

Soon she found herself dangling on ropes and ladders on the huge structure in the middle of the playground, fleeing from Bobby – one of Sam's friends – who got roped into being the " _Commodore_ " and had to catch the pirates. They weren't allowed to touch the ground either or else the sharks would bite, and one was disqualified until the next round.

10 minutes into the game, one of the boys – Glimmer Robert's son, Bentley (nobody really liked him - he was a bully. And why was he named after a car?) – pushed one of the younger girls aside to flee from the _Commodore_. At the last second Katniss was able to catch the girl and pull her back on the platform.

Unfortunately, it made her lose her own balance. A second later she squeezed her eyes shut and prepared herself for a hard fall on the back …

… only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

"Whoa, there! You alright?" The chuckle that followed sounded very familiar.

Katniss' eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into Peeta Mellark's face. Of course! How on earth did she always end up looking like a total klutz in front of him?

"I'm good, thanks to you" she recovered from her surprise, still a little shaky. Which wasn't only because she just fell off a jungle gym, but also because she could still feel the warmth of his palm through the fabric of her shirt on the small of her back.

"I have to admit, this is not how I imagined you falling into my arms."

Katniss gasped. Did she just hear him correctly? Before she had a chance to analyze, her tongue got ahead of her and she blurted out, "You imagined me falling into your arms?"

Only then he realized what he just had said. He opened his mouth, but the chance to explain got interrupted by a whirlwind of dark hair crashing into Katniss and hugging her tightly.

"Aunty Kat! Are you alright? Bentley is so mean, he won't even apologize! Thank god, Mr. Peeta caught you before you hit your head."

The young woman looked up surprised and for a second let her eyes drift between Peeta and the girl. "You know Peeta?"

"Of course!" Samantha nodded proudly. "He owns the bakery near Grandpa's house. Mommy and he grew up together. I always get a cookie when Mommy buys bread there. Do you know Mr. Peeta, too?"

"Oh, yes. I work for Mr. Peeta. My firm helps him run his business," Katniss explained, before she chuckled lightly and looked at the man still standing close beside her. "You always give her cookies when she comes by? I'm surprised you're not out of business yet. I know how much this small one can eat. She gets it from her father. If you do this with every child stopping at the bakery this won't end well."

The man smirked. "Nah. Only the nice and friendly ones get a cookie, isn't that so, Samantha-sunshine?"

The girl nodded violently, and grabbed Katniss' hand. "Do you get cookies, too? You have to be nice and friendly when you work for someone, right?"

"I get lots of amazing treats, Sweetheart. Mr. Peeta always brings me something different." Katniss smiled down at the girl, brushing over her hair once.

"He must _really_ like you if you get all kind of different goodies."

Sam's eyes were wide as saucers, before a happy glint reached them. "Mommy!" she suddenly screamed excitedly while running in the direction of Madge, "Aunty Kat _finally_ has a boyfriend!"

" _Samantha Rose_!" Katniss exclaimed horrified while her eyes followed the retreating form of her Godchild, a deep blush overtaking her from head to toe.

Peeta laughed out loud, his eyes traveling over her face, taking in her rosy cheeks. It made her blush even more.

"Geez, I'm so sorry. Sam has no filter. _At all_." Why didn't the earth open up and swallow her whole?

"Don't worry," he snickered. He had his hands casually stuck in the back pockets of his jeans, which accentuated his arms and shoulders nicely. For a moment Katniss was distracted by the way his Adam's apple moved when he talked.

"No, really. She gets something in her head and the next moment she blurts it out. It can lead to very embarrassing situations." _Like right now_.

"Don't worry," he assured again. "Ty is the same."

He pointed to a boy a few yards away, at the moment standing by Madge and Samantha. His honey blond hair glistened in the sun. Katniss' heart dropped to the bottom of her belly. Her blush had vanished, and now she looked rather pale.

Naturally he had a family of his own. How she ever could have thought a charming, handsome man like Peeta Mellark was still single was beyond her. Prim had it totally wrong when she insisted that he had been flirting with her at _Bed, Bath and Beyond_. He was simply a friendly and polite person.

"Your son is really cute," she therefore exclaimed, and dearly hoped that her voice didn't sound as miserable as she felt. "Is your wife around here as well?"

"Oh!" Peeta blushed prettily (yes, she thought him pretty, married or not. _So sue her!_ ). "Tyler's not my son. I'm his Godfather. He's Delly and Thom's oldest. You remember Delly, my cousin? She did the bookkeeping before you took over. Well, she went into labor this morning and so I offered to watch over Ty. I … I'm not married. Or in a relationship. Or dating anyone. Or … whatever." He started to rub his neck with one hand again, a chuckle escaping him. It was still very endearing.

Katniss couldn't stop herself from beaming at him, both for thinking him very cute to do something like that for his family and friends in the spur of a moment, and out of relief that he wasn't married after all. Before she had the chance to reply, he took a deep breath and looked her directly in the eyes.

"And coming back to Sam's announcement," he started, a teasing in his voice before it got slightly deeper, "filter or not, it probably broke quite a few hearts right now."

"Oh, ha ha!" Katniss blushed, but wasn't able to avert her eyes, his look way too intense. Still, she needed to break the tension slowly building around them. "But, of course, you're right. I'm a regular heartbreaker, especially when it comes to 4 year olds." she deadpanned, her arms crossing in front of her.

 _Wow!_ Suddenly it felt like flirting. When did she learn to flirt? Madge and Johanna always told her she was as charming as a dead slug when it came to flirting. Normally she couldn't even disagree.

"Honestly!" Peeta's teasing turned bashful, his eyes suddenly riveted on a spot by his feet. "I would be devastated if I learned you had a boyfriend."

"No … um … no boyfriend. Well, um … just … no boyfriend. That's it."

"Oh," he gazed through his eyelashes up at her, one side of his mouth drawing up in a pleased grin. "That's … that's actually-"

A loud, angry huff interrupted their conversation. With a frown she turned around, Peeta following her example. They found their godchildren standing face to face, deep in an argument.

"Uncle Peet is the most strongest!" Tyler insisted, his small arms crossed in front of him.

"So?" Samantha replied, the scowl on her face competing with Katniss' own. "Aunty Kat is the fastest. And the cleverest. And the most prettiestest. I mean, after Mommy, of course!"

"She's half right," she suddenly felt more than heard the whisper at her ear, "I think, Aunty Kat is the prettiest, too. Period."

The momentum of her turn nearly gave her whiplash. Surprised she stared at him, but he simply smiled back at her. Reaching up Peeta's fingers carefully brushed once over the end of her braid. Katniss' breath got stuck in her throat.

Again, the kids' argument interrupted her reply.

"But Uncle Peet is the bestest! He always gives me cookies when I come to the bakery."

"I always get cookies, too! And my Aunty Kat is the bestest! She always plays everything with me, and watches _Brave_ , and _Mulan_ , and _Pocahontas_ and all the other movies, no matter how many times we already saw them."

At that moment Madge stepped around the girl and the boy and came to a halt beside Katniss. She greeted Peeta with a handshake and a smile, which he returned.

"I think it's established," she said cheekily, "you're both _the bestest_."

It made them laugh together, and for a second they even forgot that the children's argument disrupted an important conversation between them. Katniss was afraid that now that they got interrupted again (the first time it was her own damn fault for not listening carefully, the second time Finnick appeared exactly three seconds too early, and now this!), the much needed chat would get postponed yet again.

It felt like she tempted fate, because only a moment after she finished her frustrating thought, Madge turned with a wink to Peeta – her arms crossed in front of her – and playfully glared at him. "So, Peeta, tell me: When will you _finally_ ask my best friend out on a date?"

 **TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hi guys! :)

Finally I'm able to present to you the second and final part. Jeiiiiiii!

You're all very kind and supportive and I really wanted to thank the people who took time to read and review. Thank you so much!

Once again my thanks also go to a couple wonderful people: **thegirlfromoverthepond** for her constant hand holding and asking how the writing is coming along and encouraging to _write, write, write_! :D

And - of course - the wonderful, incredible **honeylime08** , beta extraordinary. You're awesome, thank you for your time and input and the amazing work you do!

Hugs and kisses to you ladies! :)

That's it! Hope you'll all enjoy, thanks for all the support. I love the Everlark-community!

All the best,  
LitLove

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine. Suzanne Collins has all the rights. I just love the characters and had to write something for them.

* * *

 **COUNTING ON LOVE**

* * *

 **Part 2**

After Madge had dropped the proverbial bomb in the middle of the playground, it took them a few seconds to react, too stunned to do more than gape at the blonde woman.

" _MAGDALENA_!" Katniss finally screeched horror-stricken, while Peeta stuttered, "Well, I-I was going to …"

"That's none of your bus-" Katniss hissed at her best friend, but at the young man's words she turned around sharply, all tension leaving her body. "Wait, you were?"

He rocked slightly back and forth on his feet, one finger scratching his nose, a half-smile half-scowl on his face.

"Um … yes?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Oh."

" _Oh_?" He must have heard disappointment in her voice because he looked confused, his arms crossing over his broad chest. She knew it was a defense mechanism, but to her it felt like he was starting to close up again. Katniss wanted to scream at him to make him stop. To let him know how desperately she wished for him to ask her out. That she wouldn't even hesitate to accept. That the disappointment came from her _anticipation_ for him to finally _ask_.

Unfortunately, she never was a woman of words. So when she elaborated, it didn't help to explain the situation. _At all_.

"Well, _were_ you … or _were_ were you?" _Did she even make an ounce of sense anymore?!_

For a second the three adults stared confused from one to the other. Brow furrowed, arms still crossed, and a puzzled expression on his face, Katniss would have loved to throw herself off the nearest cliff.

 _That was it_ , she thought. _That was her chance with Peeta Mellark, and she totally ruined it._

"What she _means_ ," Madge tried to help then, slightly irritated by her best friend's behaviour, "and apparently isn't able to express in the _slightest_ , is, that if you were to ask her _right now_ , she would most definitely say _yes_."

Even though only moments ago Katniss could have murdered her, at that moment she could have kissed Madge.

Peeta's posture relaxed, his arms fell to his sides and a beautiful smile suddenly beamed down at her. " _Oh_! Really?"

"I-"

Just then a loud scream echoed across the playground.

 _This was not happening!_ It felt like they were cursed to never finish something important. But then Tyler came running, nose bleeding and tears streaming down his face, and of course all thoughts about dates disappeared immediately.

The events following the _bloodbath_ (Samantha's word of choice) were rushed. Not twenty minutes later Katniss found herself helping Madge pack their stuff and leaving the playground for the day, while Samantha explained in all detail what had happened.

Bentley – the little sucker – had happened. He pulled on one of Sam's pigtails, and when Tyler defended her, the little asshole hauled his arm back and sucker punched Tyler in the face. If she hadn't disliked the boy before, now she surely had no sympathy for him.

In the end Peeta picked up Tyler and their stuff and rushed off the playground, only stopping for a second to ask if it was ok if he called her later.

She just had time to nod, and then he was gone.

He hadn't called afterwards, but sent a very apologetic message around midnight, explaining that after the playground everything was a little hectic, and that he only had returned home about 25 minutes ago. That Tyler was fine (his nose wasn't broken), especially now that he was a big brother. That the baby, little Sophia, was already a heartbreaker. That Delly and Thom were overwhelmed with emotions and didn't hold the accident against him. That he was sorry that they hadn't the chance to finish their talk.

Katniss wrote back that it was ok, and that she understood, and that maybe they'd get the chance to talk in the next couple of days.

The last thing she remembered before falling asleep with a smile on her face, was his reply: _I would love to_.

 **xXx**

The day before the charity bake sale found her anxious and fidgety.

Over the days following the playground incident they didn't get the chance to talk. Katniss was running errands for Sam's upcoming birthday. Prim requested a girls' night. Johanna wanted to grab a drink after work. Uncle Haymitch and his wife Effie invited her to dinner. And 20,000 other things, it seemed.

And Peeta was too busy with preparations for the bake sale.

The only thing they were able to do was text occasionally.

Therefore when her phone vibrated on the side table at around nine one evening, it startled her. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought that maybe it was Peeta texting her. Katniss dropped the book she was currently reading beside her on the couch, put her glass of wine on the coffee table and grabbed the phone.

 **Primrose Everdeen:** _The Egyptian Cotton Sheets are worth every. Last. Penny! ;)_

Katniss cringed. So much for anticipation. She really didn't need to know about her baby sisters sexcapades.

 **Katniss Everdeen:** _Thanks for the mental image. Our relationship will never be the same._

It took Prim 10 seconds to respond.

 **Primrose Everdeen:** _Your loss. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from my amazing experiences. I'm sure_ PEETA _would appreciate it._

Jesus Christ! Her sister was just like a dog with a bone.

 **Katniss Everdeen:** _I don't know about that. It can't be_ that _amazing if you're texting me instead of enjoying your anniversary with you fiancé. ;)_

 **Primrose Everdeen:** _You're deflecting again, sister mine. And I only have the time to write because Rory is grabbing some snacks from the kitchen before Round 3. ;P_

The older Everdeen nearly gagged at the image. Seriously, sometimes she regretted introducing her sweet little sister to Johanna. She was a bad influence.

 **Katniss Everdeen:** _And here's where I'm going to stop writing to you. Stop texting me, enjoy your evening. Say hi to Rory._

The silence following was answer enough. With a sigh Katniss put her phone back on the side table and picked up her book. At least the story was interesting enough to distract her from constantly thinking about the event the next day (or the organizer of the event).

Her phone chimed again.

" _Seriously_ , Prim …" Katniss muttered, again grabbing the phone and considering whether to give her sister an earful about the appropriate time to text someone. Preferably when not having sex at the same time.

But it wasn't Prim after all.

 **Peeta Mellark:** _Hi Katniss!_

Her heart skipped a beat, before resuming its rapping at double the normal speed. Suddenly her hands felt a little sweaty and the temperature in the room was slightly higher than moments ago. She nearly dropped the phone in her haste pressing the Reply-button.

 **Katniss Everdeen:** _Hey, there … stranger!_

Geez! Even via text she was a linguistical klutz. She was _so_ screwed.

 **Peeta Mellark:** _Sorry I didn't write sooner. There was a cookie disaster at the bakery._

 **Katniss Everdeen:** _Now, I'm intrigued. Explain to me what a cookie disaster entails._

 **Peeta Mellark:** _99.9% of the time it involves my brother Rye._

She had to laugh out loud at that. It seemed siblings were a pain for everyone.

 **Katniss Everdeen:** _Tell me about it! I have a sibling, too. ;)_

And then her phone went quiet. She saw the bubble with the three dots appearing and disappearing for a couple of minutes. Katniss waited, never taking her eyes off the display, as if her stare could make the screen light up with a message. When it started to fade into standby, a sigh escaped her and she put the phone down reluctantly.

Maybe she needed to start to accept that she and Peeta weren't meant to take this further - whatever _this_ was - before she lost her mind over it. Five days ago - an awkward conversation, an even more awkward confession, and a bloody nose later - she was sure that by the weekend they'd finally have the chance to talk and figure some things out. But with every passing day this small flicker of hope got smaller. Maybe it was only wishful thinking on her side after all.

Okay, she needed to be fair here: She could have asked him herself. She could have pushed her insecurities aside and could have suggested to meet for coffee. Or lunch. Maybe - if she gathered all her courage - even dinner.

But she was a coward, discouraged by the looks given him by way more attractive women. His behavior was friendly, open, while she was monosyllabic, and reluctant, and … _shy_. Every time she opened her mouth in his presence she sounded like a total dork.

He looked like a _fucking Greek God_ , while she was simply _ordinary_. There was nothing special about her.

It frustrated her that everybody was pushing her to 'take it in your own hands' when she never really learned _how to do that_. How could she?

Prim and Madge had the Hawthorne boys drooling all over them the second they hit puberty. Katniss' ' _relationship_ ' with Gale had been long done by the time he realized that he was head over heels for Madge. And just like his brother with Prim, he wined and dined her, and did everything he could to woo her, not even stopping at making a complete fool out of himself.

Of course, she knew that it wasn't roses and sunshine all the time. Relationships needed work. On both sides. The occasional fight was only natural.

Still, both Madge and Prim didn't have to experience the hardships of the dating world. It was fascinating, when they went out together for girls night guys tended to swarm around the two blondes like bees 'round a honeypot. They flirted harmlessly, enjoyed the attention, laughed and had fun, but at the end of the night they knew they would go home to the men they loved.

And while neither Madge nor Prim ever experienced it, Katniss knew what it was like to be the ' _plus one_ ' friend, only included in conversations because she simply was there, too. The friend who had to buy her own drinks. Who could step away from the conversation without someone noticing.

Katniss wasn't bitter about this. She had accepted a while ago that she simply wasn't the flirty, funny, open kind of girl that guys found attractive. And that was ok. She was only bitter when her friends made it look like the simplest thing to attract some guy.

On top of that Peeta wasn't just _some guy_. He had the potential to be _the guy_.

The phone chimed again, breaking her out of her thoughts.

 **Peeta Mellark:** _So … what are you doing right now?_

Wow. It took him 10 minutes to write _this_? She swallowed down a curse, while rereading the message a couple of times. For nearly a quarter of an hour she was seriously contemplating whether she had lost her sanity ever since she started working for him, and this was all he could come up with?

Katniss' anger reared its ugly head. With a huff she started to type a detailed reply, but halfway through got so irritated with constantly mistyping the words that she switched to the contacts and pressed the call-button.

It rang twice before he picked up.

"Hey!" he greeted happily, she could hear the smile in his voice, "I wasn't sure if it was a good time to ca-"

"You know what?!" she interrupted his words, her frustration clearly palpable. "This needs to stop."

"Um … Katniss?" If it was possible, she could feel his confusion through the phone. She could even understand it to a certain degree. Minutes ago she was joking around with him. "Are you-"

"I can't do this anymore," she interrupted him once more, needing to get the words off her chest before the courage piqued by her anger extinguished again. Even if by now the frustration had mostly turned into resignation.

"I like you. I _really_ like you. There! I said it. It's out there. I really, _really_ like you. And I thought that maybe you kinda liked me, too. But this constant dancing around the topic is eating me up!" She took a deep breath, before continuing in a much calmer voice, "so, I like you. And I would love to grab some coffee sometime? Or maybe lunch? Or dinner? I don't know, whatever you want to do is fine. I'm terrible at this, I'm sorry if I got everything mixed up here-"

" _Oh man_ , Katniss!" It was his turn to interrupt her, effectively shutting up her ramble. "I like you, too! It's _fucking ridiculous_!"

Ok, that hurt. More than she wanted to admit. He thought her ridiculous, and now she thought it herself, too. Calling him seemed more and more like one of her bigger mistakes.

"It's _ridiculous_ to _like_ me?" Even though she wanted to sound pissed, it wasn't possible to keep a hint of sadness out of her voice. She was seconds away from simply hanging up.

"NO!" he was fast to rectify. "That's not … I mean, you surely know … you _have to_ know … _Katniss_!"

"What are you trying to tell me here, Peeta?"

She heard a huff, before he continued in a much softer tone, "How is it possible you can't see that I'm _crazy about you_ even though every time I'm around you I make a total fool of myself?"

Was he serious?! He was the most eloquent guy she ever met. Her stumbling over words, her constantly blushing when he talked to her, her way of never finding the right thing to say was the mortifying part. A sarcastic snort escaped her. "Yeah, right."

"How do you _do_ that?" He replied with the same sarcastic snort she just used.

"What do you mean?"

"You only ever hear the insignificant parts. Katniss …" he took a deep breath, "I like you. _So much_. I was head over heels for you five minutes into knowing you. Since that first time I stepped into your office I've wanted to ask you out. I really thought it couldn't be more obvious, but I would _love_ to have dinner with you."

"Peeta …"

"Please, say yes."

She was happy he couldn't see her as she gaped like a freaking fish, mouth opening wordlessly, eyes wide like saucers. His confession caught her even more off guard than the one at the playground. And then he was standing right in front of her.

It was like every single word and phrase she ever learned got deleted from her brain. Single syllables swirled around in her mind, but the rest seemed like a gaping void.

And she still needed to answer him.

"Well," she tried to regain her composure, thinking about a way to let him know how ecstatic she felt about the whole situation. Once more she wished she was a little more articulate. Still, she promised herself _this time_ she wouldn't screw this up. Katniss took a deep breath, and before she got the chance to overanalyze her next words, simply blurted out, "I don't know what you're talking about. You surely didn't make a fool of yourself right now."

It took him a second to process what she just said.

"You're too kind, but it's true!" he laughed, dissolving some of the tension around them. "They call me silver-tongued, but when you're near by it feels like I turn into a linguistic amoeba."

She'd never heard something more ridiculous …

" _Peeta!_ _I'm_ the one who can't string two words together in your presence."

His laughter made her whole body tingle, and his next words only intensified the feeling.

"So … back to the topic. Dinner sounds amazing."

"Glad we're on the same page here."

"How does next-"

She heard a ruckus on his side of the line, shortly followed by a sheepish ' _Sorry, I'll clean it up right away!_ ', before Peeta's slightly muffled and annoyed voice called out a ' _Seriously, Rye?!_ '.

A second later he was back on the phone with her.

"And once again we get interrupted. I'm sorry, Katniss."

But this time it didn't feel so disappointing than the last couple of times. This time she knew they were on the same page. _This time_ she still could hear his various forms of ' _I like you_ '.

"It's okay," she assured him, a goofy smile playing around her mouth (again, she was happy he couldn't see it), "Maybe you should go and check what your brother did this time. Hopefully not another cookie disaster."

His smile was once again noticeable in his voice.

"How about we make plans tomorrow at the bake sale? We can have coffee and agree on a night that works for both of us?"

"Sounds perfect. Good night, Peeta. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Katniss. Until tomorrow. I'm really happy you called."

"Me, too."

She hung up, a brilliant smile nearly splitting her face in two. With all the anxiousness gone she suddenly couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

 **xXx**

Promptly at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday Katniss entered _Mellark's_. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the fresh spring morning air and her brisk walk. She never realized that the bakery was only 20 minutes by foot from her apartment.

As she stepped inside - the little bell over the door announcing her - the smell of freshly baked bread engulfed her, making her mouth water and a soft moan escape. _Carb heaven_ , indeed.

Her eyes drifted around the store and the first word coming to mind was _cozy_. There was an area with several plush chairs and loveseats with small tables in front of them, lots of lamps and cushions and all kinds of different candleholders. Another area had higher tables and regular chairs for eating. One of the walls was a gigantic bookshelf, in front of that a spiral staircase lead up to a gallery with even more comfortable seating. A portion of the back wall was made out of glass, a door leading outside into a huge atrium, partly covered by a canopy overgrown with Virginia creeper. Pots full of flowers stood everywhere. A huge apple tree grew in the middle of the atrium, it looked like it was at least 150 years old.

Katniss wanted to _live_ here.

For today's occasion, a huge banner was stretched over the back wall of the patio with ' _Mellark's Annual Bake Sale_ ' in big letters on it. Tables with white tablecloths stood scattered around the atrium, which soon would be filled with all kinds of delicious treats.

Someone cleared their throat behind her and she turned around. A dark skinned, young woman stood behind the counter, a blinding smile on her face.

"May I help you?"

"Um, hi! I'm Katniss? I'm here for-"

"Oh!" the girl interrupted, and her smile widened, if that was even possible. "You're _Katniss_! Welcome! I'm Rue, one of Peeta's employees. Mostly I handle the shop front. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Katniss smiled back. In a couple of their conversations Peeta had mentioned the young woman working for him. His smile was always fond when he explained yet another of the funny situations little ' _Birdy_ ' - as they called her (after all, her full name was Rueberta, the poor girl) - had caused.

But before she got the chance to return the sentiment, another person entered the storefront from the kitchen. He smirked at the two women, his blue eyes twinkling with mischievousness.

"Customer or volunteer?" He wiggled his eyebrows, leaning with his forearms against the countertop, and winked once at her. "I sincerely hope it's the latter."

"Rye …" Rue sighed, shaking her head at his attempted flirting, "This is _Katniss_."

Ah, okay. This was the middle Mellark brother, the one closest to Peeta, as far as she could tell. When it came to looks they surely couldn't deny their kinship.

Still, Rye lacked the sparkling blue of Peeta's eyes; his were much more icier in color. He was a little taller and leaner (which surely was helpful in his former football career), and his hair was a shade or two lighter. No doubt, he was handsome, but the big difference was that he _knew_ he was attractive, and his whole demeanor showed that. Rye Mellark reminded her a lot of Finnick.

Katniss gave him and Rue a strange and questioning look after she noticed the look of recognition flaring up in the man's eyes. Why did it always seem like everybody knew her?

"So this is the infamous Kitty!" the middle Mellark exclaimed, his flirtiness gone, replaced by curiosity. "So good to finally be able to put a face to the name."

"It's Katniss," she deadpanned, one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed in front of her.

"Oh, you're feisty. Awesome! I like that. We're going to have _a lot of fun_ ," Rye laughed, again wiggling his eyebrows.

It was going to be a long day.

 **xXx**

By one in the afternoon Katniss was so exhausted, she couldn't even be disappointed that she hadn't had the chance to talk to Peeta yet.

After Rye's suggestive comments made Rue order him back to the kitchens, the young woman showed Katniss around and explained how the patio was divided into five different sections, one table for each: cupcakes, tarts, cookies, cakes, and pastries. People wanting to buy something would come to Katniss' little table beside the patio doors with a list of goods they had chosen and pay there. Additional colorful boxes were placed around _Mellark's_ , in case people wanted to donate to support kids in Community Homes without buying something.

Just as Rue finished her explanations, the swinging doors to the kitchen were pushed open, and Katniss could hear the last part of a sentence uttered in an annoyed voice " _… can't believe you didn't tell me!_ ".

And then Peeta stood in front of her, the counter the only thing separating them.

When his eyes landed on her form his annoyance vanished completely. Instead a huge smile lit up his face, and his blue eyes ( _so_ pretty, _so_ beautiful) stared into hers.

"Good morning, Katniss."

She opened her mouth to respond, but the doors of the bakery opened and a bronze haired whirlwind rushed in, aiming straight for the counter.

"Peeta!"

The shout of his name was loud and excited, and a second later the boy flung himself at the surprised baker.

"Tristan," a second voice scolded slightly, making everybody turn their eyes to the entrance again. "Let's calm down a little bit."

Finnick Odair, aka Real-Life-Adonis, stood there in all his glory. It was freakin' 07:55 in the morning and he looked neat as a pin: dark jeans combined with a white Henley and Blazer, also in white. GQ magazine must've called again. And of course, his son was his spitting image. At least this time Katniss didn't feel as much like a hobo as the week before.

Peeta laughed. "Man, you're _so_ going to regret wearing white today."

Finnick simply shrugged, a half-smirk adorning his face.

From that moment on the door to the bakery seemed to never close, people streaming in continuously. At first it was mostly more volunteers - and to Katniss' surprise they weren't only women. It seemed most of them had done this before, greeting everyone around like they were old friends before introducing themselves to her.

An older woman stepped up to her, beaming like the sun, and introduced herself as Gammy Mags.

"Finnick is my grandson, but everybody calls me Gammy. I was a math teacher when I was younger, and not to give you the wrong impression, but I'm really happy it's no longer my duty to oversee the register. I'm getting too old for all that ballyhoo."

Katniss understood now what she had meant. People constantly appeared in front of her desk. She was really thankful for her semi-photographic memory, or else she would've never been able to remember all the prices of all the different goods.

She hadn't stepped away from her place from the minute she arrived, but she couldn't delay a break any longer. Nature called, and she really needed to answer that call.

Excusing herself, she stepped inside and headed for the ladies room.

When she stepped out of it a couple minutes later (cursing herself under her breath for not taking a bathroom break earlier) a hand wrapped carefully around her wrist. It took her by surprise, a small gasp escaping her.

By the tingle rushing through her body from the contact it could only be one person.

She turned her head, confirming her suspicion: Peeta stood half in the shadows beside her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't, just caught me by surprise," Katniss reassured, turning around fully.

His hand dropped from her wrist and she immediately missed the contact. But only a second later his fingers brushed over the end of her braid, leaving her skin covered in goosebumps.

"Sorry we haven't had the chance to talk." His gaze traveled over her face, resulting in Katniss taking a step forward. She had no idea where her courage came from, but her hand suddenly rested on his chest, right over the place where his heart was beating steadily.

"Maybe we can talk n-"

"Aunty Kat!" The loud squeal made them jump apart.

 _Seriously?!_ _Again_?! Karma was a bitch!

Sam came running at them full speed. Katniss loved that girl to death, but her timing was unbelievable.

"Samantha-sunshine!" Peeta recovered quickly, pushing his hands into the back pockets of his pants. Katniss had to drag her eyes away from his biceps.

The girl grabbed her godmother's hands and started to jump up and down in excitement.

"Mommy and Daddy promised we'd get some cupcakes. Francie is coming over today. She's my BFF, forever and ever. And we're having a sleepover, and we'll order pizza, and watch all our favorite movies, and Daddy promised he'll build us a pillow-fort where we can sleep in, and-"

"Take a breath, sweetheart," Katniss laughed, grasping the girl by the shoulders. Sam giggled, turned around and ran back to her parents. Madge and Gale stood hand in hand at the entrance of the bakery, taking in the scene outside on the patio.

Katniss offered Peeta an apologetic look, which he returned with a soft smile.

"Later," he promised quietly, and she nodded in confirmation.

 **xXx**

Gale, Madge and Samantha stayed for a while, enjoying their exploration of all the different tables. About half an hour after they left Prim and Rory stopped by as well, sitting together and sampling about 25 different cakes, tarts and pastries.

Every time Peeta brought another tray full of mouthwatering things out of the kitchen Prim gave her sister a look and started to wiggle her eyebrows. Katniss wanted to throw something at her, preferably something heavy and painful.

Around two in the afternoon Tristan Odair, now on a sugar-high, and his father, white clothes now covered with multi-colored frosting, were picked up by the charming Mrs. Annie Odair, still in her nurse's uniform and by the look of it, about 8 months pregnant. They left soon after, taking Gammy Mags with them.

At some point during the afternoon she saw Tyler rushing from one table to the next, behind him a dark haired man and a blonde woman pushing a baby carriage. Peeta introduced them later as Thom and Delly, and when they heard who she was, the blonde woman squealed happily.

"So, you're _Katniss_! It's so good to finally meet you. I've heard so many good things about you."

Katniss smiled back but was sure it looked more like a grimace. Did everybody know who she was?

When baby Sophia started to wake, they bid their goodbyes and headed home. Tyler started to protest, arguing that he wanted to stay with Uncle Peet for dinner and maybe movies afterwards.

Delly scowled slightly and told him in a stern tone, "Uncle Peet doesn't have time for dinner and movies tonight. He already has plans." She flashed a glance first in Katniss' and then in Peeta's direction, and suddenly her meaning behind the word ' _plans_ ' was unmistakably clear. Katniss flushed to the roots of her hair.

At six the bakery closed and _Mellark's Annual Charity Bake Sale_ was officially over. Which didn't mean that they were done with the work. Katniss decided to help clean the patio, enjoying the last rays of sun of this beautiful spring evening.

Finally - around half past eight - the last volunteers and employees waved their goodbyes, leaving _Mellark's_ to Peeta and Katniss. And Rye.

"Are we done soon?" the older Mellark whined, pushing through the doors with his arms full of dishes, "I need to catch the red-eye - the Mockingjays have an away game tomorrow." She nearly had forgotten that he was a sports commentator and not simply an annoying being.

Katniss jumped at the opportunity to finally get the chance to talk to Peeta in private. Without interruptions. Even though it had to do with cleaning a lot of dishes.

"Oh! I can help! I have time, no worries." Was she really as eager as it sounded to her own ears? Probably, because Rye smirked knowingly, dropped the last of the dirty dishes on the counter, brushed his hands off and threw the apron on a pile of dirty laundry.

Peeta turned to her, showing concern, drying his hands on a hand towel.

"Are you sure, Katniss? You were the first one to arrive here today, and you helped all day long. You really don't have-"

"Awesome! Thank you, Kitty!" Rye interrupted his younger brother. Katniss cringed at the nickname, already accepting that she would be stuck with it now. Rye was the type for that. "See you soon, girly! Looking forward to it!" The eyebrow-wiggle was back. She rolled her eyes at him.

A couple of seconds later he was gone, leaving Peeta and her alone in the kitchen. For a few moments they stared at nothing in particular, not knowing what to say. Finally Katniss just grabbed some of the tableware and brought it over to the sink. Peeta offered her a smile in thanks.

They worked in amicable silence, Peeta washing up and Katniss drying and putting everything away. It took them about 45 minutes to finish all of the dirty dishes, but they didn't say a single word the whole time. The radio was softly playing music in the background, Katniss occasionally humming along.

Every now and then one of them glanced in the direction of the other, and every single time the other one caught it. Then they gave each other small smiles before continuing with their task.

After she put the last steel bowl in its designated place, Katniss dried her hands on the dishtowel and turned around to Peeta.

"I think this was the la-"

He interrupted her with a kiss. She was so surprised that she couldn't even react at first, her eyes wide open and her breath stuck in her chest.

And it wasn't just a kiss. It was an all consuming, the world stopped turning, mind blowing, toe curling, I-want-to-melt-into-you kinda kiss. His hands held her carefully in place, his thumbs lightly brushing over her cheeks while his fingers were wrapped in the hair at the back of her head. Her upper lip was caught between his', and Katniss thought never felt anything this perfect.

When she didn't respond after a couple of moments Peeta pulled back slightly, only a breath away. His eyes searched hers, trying to decipher what she was thinking, while his hands still cupped her head.

"I've wanted to do that since I first saw you. It's taken all of my willpower today to keep myself from dragging you somewhere private and kissing you senseless."

Heat flushed her face, mixed with excitement and lust. It was Katniss' turn to surprise him. In a split second her lips were back on his. Her hands clutched the shirt at his sides, and she took a step closer. The fronts of their bodies brushed and both escaped a moan. They were covered in goosebumps, she could feel it under the tips of her fingers after one of her hands sneaked under the hem of his shirt. Peeta tilted her head a little further to deepen the kiss, his tongue brushing over the seam of her lips. It made her toes curl.

Katniss sighed, allowing him entrance, and soon all thoughts left her. She could only feel his tongue against hers, insistent but not forceful. His lips - warm and a little chapped, but at the same time so soft - worshipping hers like they were the most precious thing. His fingers held on tight, but they never hurt her.

Never before had a kiss felt like this; Katniss didn't want it to ever stop.

The swinging doors connecting the kitchen with the storefront were suddenly pushed open and Rye rushed into the room, his eyes fixated on the screen of his phone.

"Hey, guys, I was already on the way to the airport when I realized I forgot my walle- _woaw_!"

The couple turned their heads in the direction of the middle Mellark brother, but didn't lose their grip or stepped away from each other. They got interrupted so often in the past, both deciding at the same time that they simply didn't care about it anymore. Katniss even had to stop the chuckle nearly escaping her when she saw the look Peeta was throwing in Rye's direction.

"Rye, get _the fuck_ out of my kitchen!"

And then he was back to kissing her. A little deeper. A little dirtier. Not as soft as before. Simply ignoring his brother still standing at the kitchen entrance.

She loved it even more than their first kiss.

They didn't see Rye roll his eyes, nor his playful half-smirk. And they surely didn't hear him muttering, after he grabbed his wallet and disappeared through the same door he'd just come in, ' _Geez, get a room! Seriously! Nobody can tell me this isn't against health regulations._ ᾿.

 **xXx**

Numbers were her thing.

And she _hated_ it when they didn't add up. For the last hour and a half she'd been searching for the mistake in one of her client's accounts. Maybe some transposed digits in the calculations?

A soft knock at the open door made her look up.

"Lunch is ready," Peeta announced, "The numbers still not adding up?"

Katniss let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. It was useless, she needed a break to clear her head or else she would search for a couple more hours without any result. Food was a welcome distraction.

Funny, when you needed a break from something that you considered to be a break from something else.

"What's for lunch?" she asked and stepped around her desk, adjusting her glasses, before rearranging the bun she'd put her hair in. It was Sunday, and she enjoyed that she didn't have to dress up.

"Tomato Soup, Green Salad and Cheese Buns. And homemade Iced Tea."

She wound her arms around his middle. A broad grin consumed her face when she felt his arms immediately wrap around her as well.

"My favorite. That's very nice of you."

"Well, I'm a very nice person," he chuckled, giving her a short peck, before they made their way to the half finished kitchen.

Boxes stood everywhere, some half unpacked, others already folded up to be put away. Dishes, pans, cutlery, and a hundred other things stood on every available surface. The kitchen was a disaster zone; Katniss was surprised Peeta had managed to make them lunch at all.

"How can you cook anything in here?" she asked when she took in all the chaos, sitting down in their sunny breakfast nook.

He smirked while putting the soup in two bowls, "I have my ways."

Katniss raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "You walked over to the bistro and let Thresh make it." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Peeta walked over - still smirking - and put the bowls down on the table, before he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're so clever, love."

They were silent while they ate, only interrupted by the occasional moan whenever Katniss took a bite from her cheese bun. She loved that he knew when she needed some quiet time to sort out her thoughts.

"You're going back to work?" Peeta asked after they finished their lunch and put their dirty dishes into the dishwasher (A _dishwasher_! She'd never had a dishwasher before! She was _in love_ with the dishwasher!).

A long, whiney sigh escaped her, but she shook her head. "I can't avoid unpacking forever. I at least want to be able to get my clothes out of my closet tomorrow morning and not have to search through a hundred different boxes. I _hate_ unpacking."

Peeta wrapped his arms around her from behind and started to pepper kisses along her neck. "Maybe I can convince you to expand your break for a little longer?" His hands slipped under the hem of her shirt.

"I'm listening …" Katniss bit her bottom lip when he reached that sensitive spot under her ear. She could feel his devilish grin against her neck.

"While you worked on your client's account I put on the new Egyptian Cotton Sheets Prim gave us as a housewarming gift."

She giggled all the way upstairs to their new bedroom.

 **FIN**


End file.
